With four bedrooms plus loft, there is plenty of room in this exceptional Winhall property just minutes to skiing! Be captivated by the fantastic views from plentiful windows of this 1990 Garrison style home! After a day on the slopes, enjoy the warming glow of a crackling fire in the exquisite floor to ceiling stone fireplace, before the ultimate relaxation of the gas-fired hot tub. Dinner is served in either the spacious kitchen with breakfast bar or in the formal dining room. You will love the airy feel of this home, enhanced by the gleaming hardwood floors on the main floor which seem to glide seamlessly from one room to the other, and the cathedral ceilings in the family room and master bedroom. With three levels of spacious living area, this home offers more than ample room for creating memories. Enjoy the best of both worlds with views of the Green Mountain National Forest, while being just thirty five miles from bustling Brattleboro VT. A truly special mountain retreatMore information regarding this property

Jackson Gore is Open! We’ll have 37 trails with 8 lifts spinning starting at 8 a.m. Don’t forget that you can get a $39 lift ticket at the clock tower ticket plaza or the Jackson Gore Archway if you donate 5 or more non perishable food items. The Rail Jam is also today– registration is in the clock tower base lodge with the event itself in the Jackson Gore base area. Come to the Okemo area and Ski with us!

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If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying Real Estate in Southern Vermont, please give me a call at 802-353-1983, visit my website or email me at irene@isellvermontrealestate.com

The below is a Press release from Aubuchon Hardware to their Stores; I spoke to Tom in Ludlow store and he told me that money can also be contributed and receipts will be given. So stop in and donate what you can!

MANY TOWNS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE SANDY. THE DEVASTATION IS HISTORIC AND MANY FAMILIES ARE LEFT WITH NOTHING. AS YOUR HOME TOWN HARDWARE STORE WE WANT TO SHOW THOSE IMPACTED THAT OUR COMMUNITY CARES. AUBUCHON HARDWARE HAS PARTNERED WITH SPARKRELIEF. ORG TO PUT FAMILIES WHO WANT TO HELP IN TOUCH WITH FAMILIES MOST AFFECTED BY THIS DISASTER. SPARKRELIEF.ORG IS A NON-PROFIT COMPANY THAT IMPROVES DISASTER RELIEF WITH A SIMPLE SYSTEM FOR POSTING AND FINDING RELIEF INFORMATION. THEY PROVIDE A PIPELINE OF PEOPLE IN NEED TO FOLKS WHO WANT TO HELP. AUBUCHON HARDWARE HAS OFFERED THEIR ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE LOCATIONS AS DROP CENTERS FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF MATERIALS TO THOSE MOST IN NEED. PLEASE DONATE CANNED FOOD, GRANOLA BARS, FLASHLIGHTS, BATTERIES, AND GENTLY WORN WINTER COATS TO YOUR LOCAL AUBUCHON HARDWARE STORE, THESE ITEMS WILL BE PICKED UP AND DELIVERED TO THE TOWNS HIT THE HARDEST BY THIS STORM. LETS SHOW OUR FRIENDS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY THAT OUR HOME TOWN CARES ABOUT THEIRS.

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If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying Southern Vermont Real Estate, please give me a call at 802-353-1983 or email me at irene@isellvermontrealestate.com

I’ll let you in on a little secret. You could take the title of this blog and replace “Real Estate Agents” with your profession and you would increase your productivity! But Real Estate is my business and time management is a real challenge that I want to address from the perspective of being a Real Estate Agent.

With so many distractions, it is a wonder that real estate agents are productive at all. Working to become a highly productive real estate agent is an ongoing process. Creating habits that produce consistent results allows you to achieve your maximum potential. Between phone calls, emails, listing presentations, prospecting calls and buyer appointments, how do I stay productive?

I keep myself focused, alert and on tract with these five habits:

Focus on the Most Important Tasks. Be mindful to focus on income generating tasks and tasks that produce results. Schedule time on your calendar and list out everything you will work on. Number each item and work through your list. Complete what you can during your scheduled time without any interruptions or distractions (see #2). Do this every day.

Remove Distractions. The day can quickly get away from you between the phone, email, Internet and any other interruption. Turn it all off and stay focused on your task at hand. Don’t allow yourself a quick vacation on Facebook or getting off track by answering emails. Cut yourself off from all distractions, work down your list and take a break once you are complete.

Use Positive Affirmations. Crazy, I know but they actually do work! They can take a negative attitude and turn it around just by repeating a few constructive, upbeat words.

Take a Cat Nap. Making time and grabbing a few z‘s might seem like an odd productivity tip, but studies have shown that feeling refreshed after a nap can significantly improve concentration and performance. 30 minutes is all it takes.

Set Daily Goals. Wake up each morning with your goals outlined. These should be incorporated into your daily tasks. Setting your sites on a goal each day offers clarity and promotes a more sustained drive.

Here’s a bonus. Break out of the norm. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try something that makes you a little uncomfortable. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be an amazing place that offers growth potential you never believed possible. Whatever your profession, these habits will contribute to your productivity.

3 bedrooms, 2 bath ranch home on 12.30 acres (deed states 19 acres). Wonderful private location in Cavendish with long circular driveway, 2 fireplaces, one in the large basement that can be finished and one car attached garage. This would make a wonderful primary or 2nd home. Close to skiing.

This home was totally renovated within the past 5 years! Everything except the basement was updated. There is also a 2 bedroom brand new apt. (never been rented), fully furnished. There are 4 bedrooms and 2 full baths in main house – with eat in kitchen and family room. Two bedrooms and 1 bath in apartment. This would be a great home for a first time buyer with the option of earning extra income from the apartment or a wonderful 2nd home with rental potential.

Shuttle bus stops here, walk to bakery, post office and Singletons! This has it all – do not miss out on the opportunity!

After several months blogging about the Vermont towns that I know and love and after a reminder about how important your own life should be as we enter 2012 – well, it’s time to get back to business! Let’s talk about real estate.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that it wasn’t a breakout year in 2011 for residential real estate sales. In my opinion however, there was slight improvement. While the percentage increase in residential home, condo sales and second home buyers vary from county to county and town to town, the real estate market has been positively affected by the following:

Interest rates are at a historic record low.

Baby Boomers are nearing retirement and have the ability to snap up high end properties at lower than usual prices.

Some people who watch the real estate market feel we won’t see further drops in value.

Some buyers who have been on the side-lines for the past several years are ready to re-enter the market.

This does not mean that we will all enjoy easy and quick real estate transactions. Clients will be cautious, as they should be. Many home prices remain depressed and are well below their replacement value that it would take to build a new home – which is not necessarily good for builders – but good for qualified home buyers. There are great buys to be had out there and with interest rates where they are right now, the average person still has a great opportunity to own the “American Dream”.

Due to the financial hardships that many of the American people have endured in recent history and the country’s Financial Institution’s past lending policies – in my opinion a good credit score and adequate down payment are most important for your future real estate transactions. There are programs out there for first-time home buyers who qualify so if you are in the market to buy a home, it would be foolish not to look into it now.

I’m happy to live in Vermont in a 4-season resort area. I believe we will remain a strong second-home market and also a destination supported by our local tourism based partners who continue to focus on that economy and add to their year-round amenities. If you’ve been thinking about buying property in this area – well, now is the time to do so!

Until next time, Irene

For all your real estate needs in South Central Vermont, contact me at:

Please stop in to visit the new store for FRAME IT IN SKIS – in LaMere Plaza! Perfect place for an unusal gift or something for yourself; a bit about them below:

We are a small family owned business who love what we do. Our unique gifts and picture frames are handmade and handcrafted in Vermont out of used and recycled skis, snowboards and other winter sports equipment. Standard products include picture frames, message boards, mirrors, clocks, and wind chimes. Please visit our online store often as we will be adding more and more unique gifts along with specials and one-of-a-kind items. Please email us with suggestions and comments as we are always looking for new ideas and welcome your opinion.

Always try to recycle, reuse, and repurpose! One person’s junk is another person’s craft project!

Cavendish, Vermont is full of surprises. Located in Windsor County and named after William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, Cavendish also includes the village of Proctorsville and saw its first settlers in June of 1769.

Cavendish is a very unassuming town. As you drive around the beautiful Vermont countryside of Cavendish and Proctorsville, at first glance you don’t realize the history and thriving businesses located here. Would it surprise you to know that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Russian writer, historian and Nobel Prize winner called Cavendish his home for many years?

How many times have you driven past Mack Molding, a leading supplier of contract manufacturing service and injection molded plastic parts to companies in a range of industries? Founded in 1920 and a family run business with headquarters in Arlington, Vermont, it might surprise you to know they have 1,800 employees at 10 locations with annual sales of $300 million. This is a company with no long term debt and a 5A1 D&B rating – the highest available! Learn more about them at http://www.mack.com.

Do you know where the Cavendish Canine Camp is located? If you visit their website at http://www.cavendishcaninecamp.com you’ll find an excellent description of where they are; “nestled within the green mountains of Vermont and just outside the village of Ludlow”. This wonderful canine boarding facility prides itself on the quality and conscientious care they give your pets while you are traveling or working. Their canine guests have supervised social playtime and a “quiet time” mid-day. The feline campers also get playtime to roam and socialize in their very own “cat room”.

I am so proud to live in Vermont that even three months after the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Irene I feel compelled to mention just one or two storm related items. First, if you go to their website you’ll never know how my friends at the Cavendish Canine Camp were affected by the storm. They were closed during the months of September and October and while open now, the main entrance from 103 was washed away by the storm and it is very exciting to see excavators rebuilding now!

There is another business that deserves storm-related mention; The Village Clipper in Proctorsville. While a huge section of Route 132 was being repaired by the Army National Guard, several Guardsmen came in for haircuts. Julie and Paula would not accept their money, thanking them for the amazing job they were doing for us here in Vermont.

I don’t think that you can blog about the Cavendish/Proctorsville area without talking about Singleton’s General Store. Located just past the junction of Route’s 103 and 131 on Route 131 Singleton’s is known for its Vermont smoked meats, cheeses and other Vermont products. They also have a great selection of clothing and footwear suited to this area and a sporting-goods section for all of your hunting and fishing needs.

That doesn’t tell you half the story! A family owned business since 1948 when Bud and Mary Singleton with their six kids opened Newton’s Store in Reading, it took until 1978 for them to buy the land and open in their current location. Tom Singleton joined them in 1976 with his brother John – and Sheba – their Doberman Pincer. All of the children contributed to Singleton’s but only Tom and his wife Linn remained to take over in 1999 when Bud retired. The Singleton’s take pride in Customer Service – whether it’s servicing the local’s needs or those visiting from out of state. Visit http://www.singletonsvt.com, or come into the store – you won’t be disappointed.

I love Cavendish and currently make it my home! I have so much more that I could say so I’ll settle with – come and experience what I have known and come to love! Looking forward to seeing you in town!

Chester is an amazing town in Vermont. It is a town of churches and some of the most interesting and colorful vistas in New England. You can enjoy the quaint town of Chester with the historic Village Green and the Stone Village, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places – livable structures made from local granite.
Just a month after the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene, Chester held the 37th Annual Fall Festival on the Green, sponsored by the Chester Rotary Club. Over 60 Vermont and New England Artisans, Crafters and Food Concessions gathered in booths spread over the Green in the center of town. Mark your calendars for next year -this is a great fall event to attend!
New Businesses are opening too. The Inn Victoria expanded their business by adding a retail outlet, “Ye Olde Shoppe at Inn Victoria” which will focus on Vermont foods, Vermont made jewelry and other types of goods their guests are looking for while staying in Vermont. There is a new gallery, museum and art school in Chester as well! The Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) hosted an open house at the beginning of this month. Located on Depot Avenue across from the Jiffy Mart just off the Chester Village Green, there was a timely photographic essay of 50 images from professional and amateur photographers chronicling the destruction and rebuilding of south/central Vermont in the aftermath of the storm.
There are well established businesses also contributing to Chester’s charm. Bill Austin’s Antique Store has the largest collection of Antiques around and he refurbishes many items himself. It’s quite an experience walking through all the rooms of his store! After antiquing at Austin’s, step into MacLaomainn’s for lunch!
MacLaomainn’s is a Scottish style pub located at 52 South Main Street and Deb and Alan Brown opened their doors in 2008. Their Scottish style menu is unique to this area featuring traditional fish pie, haggis, mince and tatties and steak pie. They also offer pizza, Angus burgers, hot dogs and more! The atmosphere is just what a pub is intended to be – a community living room where everyone can feel at home.
This year the Browns added to their offerings by opening the Great Hall – a conference room, event and music hall which can seat up to 95 people comfortably and is located directly behind the pub. Their hope is that the Great Hall becomes a place where people will comfortably gather with family and friends.
Chester is a delightful town to visit and I’m sure you will discover the warm and inviting atmosphere coming from the local businesses and local people. Come see – you can’t get away from that Vermont spirit!